[bro1999]

http://wardsauto.com/engines/gen-ii-chevy-volt-propulsion-system-shockingly-good

Now put it in a SUV, GM!

Also, this statement doesn't sound like the Volt is going away anytime soon.

There were reports in July, after Walkup was interviewed, that GM might discontinue the Volt in 2020. Whatever happens, the Voltec propulsion system and its various components almost certainly will live on and power other types of vehicles, which it already is doing.

“We are committed to the Volt for the long-term, and you're starting to see some of its components spill over onto other platforms like the Malibu Hybrid, which has a lot of the Volt system in it,” Walkup says.

 

[JStrnad]

As I reported in my "3800-mile road trip" thread, the Volt is indeed shockingly quiet and powerful. It was incredibly easy to slip up to 95 mph without noticing on our drive, and we had more than enough acceleration to pass other cars and trucks.

 

[obermd]

On both my long trips (4,000 and 1,000) miles the initial transition from EV to ICE can be felt, but only as a shift in a really smooth automatic transmission. The transitions back and forth between EV and ICE as regens occur are 100% seamless.

 

[alfon]

Our 2016 Volt's gas engine, 2 electric motors and battery was a huge improvement over the 2011-2015 Volt. I don't believe any one year model change has ever seen such a difference in the automotive industry.

Our current electric range is well over 55 miles, usually in the 60's before the gas engine kicks in. Also the gas engine is fuel efficient as the for the month of August this year per voltstats.net we have been averaging well over 50 mpg just on gas with nearly 1,100 miles just on the gas engine. This nearly rivals our 2010 Prius in gas mpg's.

 

[Barty]

My first post here, after reading this post which almost makes me cry!

I replaced my 2011 Prius about 7 weeks ago with a 2013 Ampera (UK Volt) and love the car so far. All my driving has been electric apart from one 415 mile round trip, where the Prius would have got about 65mpg (UK gallons) and the Amp only achieved 50 mpg. I admit I was going rather fast for the return trip, 75-85mph, so maybe the Prius would actually not have done quite so well at that speed.

If the gen 1 Volt is this good it is a crying shame that we are not getting the gen 2 here with all the refinements and improvements!!

 

[llninja]

Subyukonade!!!!

 

[samotlietuvis]

Better yet - in a truck...

 

[charliebrown]

Our 2016 Volt's gas engine, 2 electric motors and battery was a huge improvement over the 2011-2015 Volt. I don't believe any one year model change has ever seen such a difference in the automotive industry.

Our current electric range is well over 55 miles, usually in the 60's before the gas engine kicks in. Also the gas engine is fuel efficient as the for the month of August this year per voltstats.net we have been averaging well over 50 mpg just on gas with nearly 1,100 miles just on the gas engine. This nearly rivals our 2010 Prius in gas mpg's.

You just sold me.... now I want a Gen 2.

 

[hellsop]

I replaced my 2011 Prius about 7 weeks ago with a 2013 Ampera (UK Volt) and love the car so far. All my driving has been electric apart from one 415 mile round trip, where the Prius would have got about 65mpg (UK gallons) and the Amp only achieved 50 mpg. I admit I was going rather fast for the return trip, 75-85mph, so maybe the Prius would actually not have done quite so well at that speed.

And 40 of those miles came out of the wall, not a pump... Priuses seem to lose a little less fuel economy to high speed wind than Volts do, but that just means the lines cross someplace around 55-60 MPH. (On the other hand, at "stuck behind a caravan" speeds, you're probably getting BETTER fuel economy than the Prius because the engine will just shut off about 1/3 to 1/2 of the time.)

 

[obermd]

My first post here, after reading this post which almost makes me cry!

I replaced my 2011 Prius about 7 weeks ago with a 2013 Ampera (UK Volt) and love the car so far. All my driving has been electric apart from one 415 mile round trip, where the Prius would have got about 65mpg (UK gallons) and the Amp only achieved 50 mpg. I admit I was going rather fast for the return trip, 75-85mph, so maybe the Prius would actually not have done quite so well at that speed.

If the gen 1 Volt is this good it is a crying shame that we are not getting the gen 2 here with all the refinements and improvements!!

The Prius would drop to 40 MPG or lower at those speeds.

 

[Barty]

Yes, you are right, it's not really a fair comparison between the MPG I know I got in the Prius, sat at a steady 65 mph, and the Ampera at 10 mph+ faster, wind resistance at those speeds becomes a big factor.

I am sure, though, that my gen 3 Prius had a more refined and economical hybrid system than my gen 1 Ampera/Volt has, but as Alfon says above with the gen 2 Volt it does sound like GM have done a good job with improving the hybrid performance.

For my driving pattern though the Ampera is perfect, most days I drive within electric range doing lots of short trips, which in the Prius was an economy killer with the engine's warm up cycles. My Prius 3 year MPG was around 58 (UK gallons), around 48 in US gallons and so far after 7 weeks I am on 128 MPG in the Ampera (about 107 US MPG). I have solar PV too so some of my 'refuelling' is free, even in our often dismal weather!